


That One Winter

by Spnnicholas



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - After College/University, Alternate Universe - College/University, Asexual Castiel, Bi!Dean, Bisexual Dean, M/M, ace!cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-26
Updated: 2015-07-26
Packaged: 2018-04-11 07:17:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4426310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spnnicholas/pseuds/Spnnicholas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean and Castiel meet in college at the University of Sioux Falls, and after university, they buy an apartment together. Their relationship was nothing more than friendship. Until that one winter night...<br/>Inspired by the post: http://fandoms-and-stuff.tumblr.com/post/125061443139/kittykarnstein-thewasteoftime-kabudy-why</p>
            </blockquote>





	That One Winter

In his freshman year of college at the University of Sioux Falls, Dean had no idea what to take. He loved music and language and fighting, but he didn't know where he would fit. He decided to take Greek Reading, History of Blues, Jazz, and Rock, and Anatomical Kinesiology to feed his many interests. Cas, on the other hand, knew exactly what he wanted to take. He loved History and the human body in motion. He decided to take History of Christianity, Ancient History, and Anatomical Kinesiology. Neither decided to get degrees past undergraduate. That overlap is where this story begins.

Dean wandered the halls, looking for his dorm. He glanced at the paper he wrote down to make sure he was in the right place. His roommate was some weirdo named Castiel. _What kind of name is 'Castiel' anyway,_  he wondered. He continued traipsing the halls until he finally found his dorm, and noticed that he got first choice on beds. He chose what he thought was the best bed and felt sorry for this 'Castiel' that had to get the other. It was right below a vent.

Castiel nervously walked the halls, scanning the room numbers in search of his dorm. His roommate was named Dean. That's a normal enough name, he thought to himself. Maybe Castiel would come to like the man with whom he was forced to spend time. Castiel opened the door to his dorm and was shocked with what he found. 

A man about his age with dirty blonde hair that stuck up in the front and freckles dotting his face sat on one of the beds, scanning a school pamphlet. Castiel cleared his throat, trying to get the man's attention. He could barely think straight. _What was his name again? Dean. That's it. Dean._

Dean looked up from his pamphlet and was stunned to see a wiry man, about his size, in the doorway of his dorm. That must be Castiel, he thought. Dark hair stuck out at every angle, some into his face. Below those dark brows and even darker hair sat the clearest of blue eyes. Dean's mouth went dry. It took him a second to compose himself to utter a simple greeting.

"Hi! My name's Dean Winchester."

 

* * *

 

Over the weeks and months, and eventually year or two, Dean grew to like hanging out with Cas. That was his nickname for him, Cas. They enjoyed somewhat similar interests. They both had a passion for ancient times. Dean enjoyed learning the language of the Ancient Greeks, and Cas enjoyed learning about their culture and religion. Oddly enough, they were in the same Anatomical Kinesiology class, and could often be seen happily conversing while walking to class together.

One day, about a month before the end of their second term together, Dean decided to be bold. "We should rent an apartment together when this term is over," he blurted, in shock that he had proposed the idea without any thought as to how Cas might react.  
"That sounds enjoyable. I am already accustomed to living with you. I think the idea of living without you is stranger than the other way around," Castiel replied. Did I just say that? Will Dean think I'm some sort of weirdo for wanting to live with him so badly?  
"Alright then, it's settled. We're going to be roommates out of college too!" Dean was ecstatic that Cas had agreed so readily to live with him.

 

* * *

  
After college, Dean and Castiel bought an apartment with two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a kitchen with a small connecting entertainment room. It might have been a bit small to others, but to them, it was home. Occasionally, Dean's brother Sam would stop by to see how they were doing. However, each time Sam came to visit, he would drag Dean aside to talk to him about his relationship with Cas, or lack thereof.

One day, Cas overheard their entire conversation with a blush spread across his face the minute it began. "Why don't you just tell him how you feel, Dean?" Castiel heard Sam ask from Dean's bedroom where they were holed up.

"Sammy, you know I can't do that. I have no idea how he'll react to that. He might not even like me like that. He might not even like guys!"

"Dean, every time he thinks no one is looking, I can see him looking at you like you hung the moon, like he can see your soul, and he's fallen in love with it."

 _Do I really look at him like that?_ Castiel thought back to each time he thought he was sneaking a glance at Dean. _I guess Sam's right..._

"Fine, okay Sam? I'll talk to him, but not with you here. It's weird."

Dean never did bring up the subject that Castiel so eagerly awaited for the next month. That is, until the heat went out in the middle of a particularly frigid South Dakota winter. Neither Dean nor Castiel had thought to buy comfortors that previous autumn due to an intense heat wave that they thought was going to last through the winter. Wrapped in their warmest flannel pajamas, neither Dean nor Castiel could get warm.

"We should lay together to conserve body heat, so neither of us gets frost bite or hypothermia. It is extremely cold in the apartment." Castiel suggested, ignoring the nagging sensation of impending rejection building up in the back of his mind.

Dean could do nothing but stare at Cas, mouth agape at his sudden suggestion for them to sleep together. "Cas. What do you mean by 'lay together'?"

"I mean we should lay together in bed, covering with both of our sheets with minimal clothing between us for maximum efficiency of body head distribution."

Still dumbfounded, Dean meekly noded in agreement.

As they were climbing into bed in nothing but their underwear, Dean had to set out some ground rules, "If we're laying down snuggled up with each other, I'm big spoon, and that's final."

"Okay. It's your bed, Dean," Cas agreed.

"Since we've got that worked out..." Dean mumbled as he crawled into bed and pulled Cas to his chest. Dean was surprised at how warm he was against his body. "You're so warm, Cas. Is this why you never complained about being under the vent in college?"

"Yes. I tend to maintain a slightly higher body temperature than normal."

"Thank God. I don't know how I would've stayed warm without you here. It's really nice."

"I'm glad I could be of assistance. I enjoy this as well."

Neither of them spoke until Dean broke the silence. "Cas?"

"Yes Dean?"

"Do you- do you like guys?"

"To what are you referring, Dean? Are you asking if I enjoy spending time with the male gender or if I am a homosexual?"

Dean blushed, hiding his face into the crook of Cas's neck.  _This really isn't helping my case._ "The second one."

"No."

Dean let out a sigh in disappointment. "Okay. I'm sorry for asking."

Castiel shifted in Dean's arms, slightly grinding his hips against Dean. "You didn't let me finish. No, I am not a homosexual; however, I am asexual homoromantic."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that I do enjoy relationships with the same gender, but I do not find sex to be a necessary part of a romantic relationship."

 _This guy is taking me on an emotional_ _roller coaster._ Dean nuzzled back into the crook of Cas's neck and mumbled something that sounded like "Oh."

"What about you, Dean? Are you homosexual?"

Dean lifted his head slightly to answer his question. "No, I'm bisexual. I'm guessing you already know what that means, yeah?"

"Correct."

"So Cas, since you like guys. Doyouwanttogoonadatewithme?!" Dean asked in a rush, blush rising to his face as he burrowed back into the crook of Cas's neck.

"I'm sorry? I didn't quite understand that." Castiel replied, fully understanding what Dean asked.

"I said, do you," Dean took a deep breath, "want to go on a date with me?" A hint of doubt creeping into his voice at the last half of his question.

"I would love to. I've wanted to since I met you on the first day of college."

 

Dean woke up wrapped in warmth. He felt more relaxed than he had in years. He felt safe, warm, protected, and comfortable. He felt loved. He turned his head to look backwards to find the source of the warmth. He came face to face with a sleeping Castiel, one arm wrapped around Dean's midsection. Dean gingerly lifted Cas's arm and slowly slid out of bed, careful to not wake up the man sleeping next to him. He got dressed quickly and quietly and went to the kitchen to find the phone and call his brother. The phone rang once, twice, three times until Sam groggily answered, "Hello?"

"Sam, you'll never believe what just happened."

"What happened?" Sam asked, fully awake now that something was obviously going on with his older brother.

"The heat went out."

"Do you want me to come over and fix it?"

"I don't know about that, Sammy. Something pretty awesome happened when the heat went out."

"What happened Dean?" Dean had piqued Sam's interest. He had to know what happened last night.

"Why don't you just come over. You can fix the heat and I'll tell you about it."

 

Twenty minutes later, and Castiel was still asleep. Dean answered a knock on the door. "Good, Sam, you're here. Be quiet, Cas is still asleep." He whispered.

Castiel wandered drearily to the kitchen in one of the shirts and pajama pants that he found in Dean's room. He walked in to find Sam and Dean chatting in the kitchen. Sam's eyes seemed glued to his shirt. Castiel blushed as he looked down and read the shirt, in big, red letters was the phrase: "Say hey if you're gay!"

"Dean? Is that the shirt that I got you for your birthday as a joke?" Sam asked, finally tearing his eyes away to look at Dean quizzically.

Dean ignored Sam's question and slowly walked to Cas, bringing him into a tender hug as he said, "Hey."

Sam was confused for a moment as he processed the scene before him. Suddenly, a bright smile spread across his face, "Oh my God! Finally! I knew it was going to happen eventually."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm debating writing another chapter. Comment if you want to read more.


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